RFID applied to the cataloguing of a collection of historical plaster moulds

Abstract This research work arises from the issue of the total absence of a catalogue of the historical moulds belonging to the Richard-Ginori porcelain factory located in Sesto Fiorentino (Italy). A methodology for the cataloguing of the moulds was developed and a system to support such a process was designed. This system exploits radio frequency identification (RFID) technologies for the identification of the historical moulds stored on shelves of a huge warehouse at the factory. These moulds, made of plaster, are frail and need to be handled with care: therefore, the identification of their content has to be carried out without moving or opening them. The use of passive RFID transponders (RFID tags) has allowed to solve the problem in a simple and low cost way through a hand-held RFID reader, which is able to communicate with a data system where the information about each mould is stored. Besides that, since the shelves where the historical moulds are stored are difficult to reach, the system is able to find where the moulds are situated.